Not Applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to automatic vehicle washing, and particularly to an apparatus for automatically washing the exterior of an automobile or other similar vehicle using fabric including microfibers.
2. Background of Invention
Automatic vehicle washing apparatus is well known. The apparatus typically takes one of two generic forms. In one form, an automobile is moved by a conveyor through successive stations at which various washing operations take place, such as wetting, scrubbing and rinsing. The second approach is to automatically perform these same operations upon a stationary vehicle. The present invention is adaptable to both forms of washing apparatus.
A principal problem associated with all types of automatic car washes is the abrading that results to the surface of the vehicle during the scrubbing operation. The scrubbing is usually accomplished by rotating brushes that include relatively stiff bristles of synthetic resin material, or occasionally strips of fabric. In either case, the high speed action of the brushes against the surface of the vehicle contributes to scratching and abrading, particularly if there is insufficient water to lubricate the surface as the scrubbing occurs.
In a known automatic vehicle washing apparatus, wash strips are formed from cotton. The cotton has good water absorption characteristics, however it has a tendency to stretch after continued use which reduces the useful life of the strip. Therefore, a need exists for an automatic vehicle washing apparatus wash strip which has a low abrasion and stretch characteristics.
The present invention provides an automatic vehicle washing apparatus which includes a wash mechanism and at least one wash strip having one end fixed to the wash mechanism. An exterior surface of the wash strip is formed from a microfiber fabric having fiber filaments of less than 1.00 denier. Preferably, the microfiber fabric encloses a sponge. Most preferably, the microfiber fabric includes between 70% and 80% polyester and between 20% and 30% polyamide.
A general objective of the present invention is to provide an automatic vehicle washing apparatus which cleans a vehicle without damage to the vehicle. This objective is accomplished by providing an automatic vehicle washing apparatus having wash strips formed from microfiber fabric.
Another objective of the present intention is to provide a long lasting, self cleaning wash strip. This objective is accomplished by providing a wash strip having an exterior surface formed from microfiber fabric which encloses a sponge. The microfiber fabric is adapted to resist stretching to improve the strip useful life, and the sponge reverse cleans the fabric.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.